Medicine cabinet door latch



Dec. 18, 1962 H. F. KORS MEDICINE CABINET DOOR LATCH Filed March 10, 1960 Henry I. fiors' 1 United States Patent Ufihce 3,069,217 MEDICINE CABINET DOOR LATCH Henry F. Kors, Riverside, Ill. (3244 S. Gals Park Ave., Berwyn, Ill.) Filed Mar. 10, 1960, Ser. No. 14,036 8 Claims. (Cl. 312209) This invention relates to a new and improved latch for medicine cabinets designed to permit quick and easy unlocking and locking of the cabinet door by an adult who can readily reach the release handle that is out of reach of a child and is furthermore concealed from view from in front of the cabinet, thereby making the medicine cabinet a safe place to keep pills and drugs where they are not accessible to the children of the household.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a generally L-shaped attaching bracket designed to fit over the upper corner of a cabinet and be easily and quickly secured in place behind the upper corner of the door, the bracket slidably supporting a generally L-shaped latch the horizontal leg of which works in a guide on the horizontal leg of the attaching bracket and has an operating handle extension on its inner end easily accessible to an adult from in front of the cabinet but out of sight and reach for a youngster, while the vertical leg of the latch has a forward extension terminating in a lateral projection that overlaps the lateral edge portion of the door near the top when the latch is slid inwardly to its operative position, thus positively preventing opening of the door until the latch is released.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in Which- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved latch and attaching bracket assembly of my invention designed especially for application to medicine cabinets;

PEG. 2 is a front view of the upper corner of a medicine cabinet showing the latch installed thereon but disposed in released or retracted position permitting opening of the door, and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2 with the latch also indicated in dotted lines in locked position.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout these views.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 4 designates the L-shaped attaching or mounting bracket and 5 the L-shaped latch, the horizontal leg 6 of which is slidably guided in an elongated guide provided parallel to the open front of the cabinet on the horizontal leg '7 of the bracket between channel shaped edge portions 3 formed from the sheet metal of the bracket, an upwardly bent inner end portion 9 on the horizontal leg 6 of the latch serving as an operating handle for moving the latch into or out of operative position and as a stop for limiting the outward movement. The vertical leg' 11] of the bracket 4- has a lateral extension 11 on the lower end thereof, the inner end of which is bent rearwardly, as indicated at 12, and has a hole 13 provided therein which is tapped for threaded reception of a screw 14, thus permitting quick and easy attachment of the bracket 4 to the upper front corner portion of a cabinet 15 in the manner shown in F165. 2 and 3, with the lateral extension 11 abutting the front face of the side wall 16 behind the hinged door 17 and with the screw 14 tightened against the inner side of the side Wall 16 While the horizontal leg 8 of the bracket rests on top of the cabinet, the cabinets top wall being indicated at 18 in FIG. 2. The screw 14 is provided of sufficient length to enable clamping the bracket 14 to walls of much less thickness than the side wall indicated at 16, and the U-shaped lower end of the bracket 4 is purposely made wide enough to accommodate walls of greater thickness than the one 3,969,21 7 Patented Dec. 18, 1962 shown, so that this bracket may be applied substantially universally to existing medicine cabinets. The vertical leg 1% of the latch 5 has a forward extension 2% on its lower end terminating in a right angle lateral projection 21 that overlaps the edge portion of the door 17 at the upper corner thereof when the latch is slid inwardly to operative position, as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 3, thus positively preventing opening of the door until the latch is released by an outward push on the handle 9 provided on the horizontal leg 6 of the latch.

The operation of the latch 5 should be clear from the foregoing description. The door 17 of the medicine cabinet 15 extends above the top of the cabinet, as clearly indicated at 22 on FIG. 2, thus concealing the operating handle 9 and the rest of the latch 5 and attaching bracket 4 from view from in front of the cabinet, there being only the small finger extension 21 visible at the front, but since this is also well out of reach of a youngster, there is little or no likelihood that the latch when once applied properly to the cabinet and operated to lock the door will be released by a youngster working the latch from that end, especially since there is so little surface on the edges of this finger extension 21 to work on to apply suflicient outward pressure to retract the latch. The usual knob on the door 17 for opening and closing it in the usual way is indicated at 23 in FIG. 3 and is at the usual middle level on the free edge portion, well below the level of the latch 5.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. A cabinet of the character described comprising in combination with an open front vertical cabinet body having top and side walls, and a vertical door for closing the open front of said body hinged on a vertical axis on said body and extending upwardly in front of said top wall so that it is adapted to conceal from view from in front of the door locking latch means located on top of said top Wall behind the upper end portion of said door, concealed latch means for releasably locking said door against unauthorized opening comprising a latch support secured to said cabinet body and extending horizontally over said top wall, and an elongated door latch operable manually and slidable horizontally on and secured to said latch support having a forwardly extending portion on one end which has a lateral projection arranged to overlap an otherwise free vertical edge portion of said door to lock the door in closed position until said latch is slid endwise horizontally far enough for the lateral projection to clear said vertical edge portion.

2. A cabinet as set forth in claim 1 including an upward projection on said latch serving as a handle for manual shifting of the latch endwise in either direction to and from locking position.

3. In a cabinet of the character described comprising an open front vertical cabinet body having a horizontal top Wall and a vertical side wall, and a hinged vertical door for closing the open front of said body, latch means for releasably locking said door against unauthorized opening comprising an L-shaped latch support disposed with one leg of the L horizontally disposed and resting on the top wall and the other leg of the L vertically disposed and abutting the outer side of the side wall, the latter leg having a lateral projection terminating in a rearward projection which projects into the open front of the cabinet in laterally spaced relation to the side wall, there being a screw threaded horizontally through a hole provided in the rearward projection arranged to have clamping engagement with the inner side of said side wall to secure said latch support to said cabinet body in the position described, and an L-shaped latch having one leg of the L horizontally disposed and guided for reciprocatory movement horizontally on the first mentioned horizontal leg of said latch support and the other leg vertically disposed in parallel relationship to the vertical. leg of said latch support, said latchs vertical leg having a forward projection terminating in a lateral projection which in one extreme position of the latch overlaps the otherwise free vertical edge portion of the door at the upper end thereof to loclt the door in closed position untii. said latch is slid endwise horizontally far enough for the lateral projection to clear said vertical edge portion.

4. A cabinet as set forth in claim 3 including an upward projection on said latch serving as a handle for manual shifting of the latch laterally in either direction to and from locking position.

5. For use in combination with an open front vertical medicine cabinet and a vertical hinged door closing the front thereof for temporarily preventing unauthorized opening of t door, said door extending upwardly above the top portion of said cabinet, a latch structure comprising a support detachably secured to the upper side portion of the cabinet on that side away from the door hinges and concealed by the upwardly extending upper end portion of said door from view from in front of the cabinet when the door is closed, and an elongated latch shiftable manually relative to said support to and from a door holding position, said latch having a door holding portion on one end thereof, and manually operable means for shifting said latch spaced from said door holding portion and concealed behind said upwardly extending upper end portion of said door in the closed position of the door.

6. In a cabinet of the character described comprising an open front vertical cabinet body having a horizontal top wall and a vertical side wall, and a hinged vertical door for closing the open front of said body, latch means for releasably locking said door against unauthorized opening comprising an L-shaped latch support disposed with one leg of the L horizontally disposed and resting on the top wall and the other leg of the L vertically disposed and abutting the outer side of the side wall, the latter leg having a lateral projection terminating in a rearward projection which projects into the open front of the cabinet in laterally spaced relation to said leg to secure the latch support in rigid relationship to said side wall, and an L-shaped latch having one leg of the L horizontally disposed and guided for reciprocatory movement horizontally on the first mentioned horizontal leg of said latch support and the other leg vertically disposed in parallel relationship to the vertical leg of said latch support, said latchs vertical leg having a forward projection terminating in a lateral projection which in one extreme position of the latch overlaps the otherwise free vertical edge portion of the door at the upper end thereof to lock the door in closed position until said latch is slid endwise horizontally far enough for the lateral projection to clear said vertical edge portion.

7. In a cabinet of the character described comprising :an open front vertical cabinet body having a horizontal 'top wall and a vertical side wall, and a hinged vertical door for closing the open front of said body, latch means for releasably locking said door against unauthorized opening comprising an L-shaped latch support disposed with one leg of the L horizontally disposed and resting on the top wall and the other leg of the L vertically disposed and abutting the outer side of the side wall, means on one of said legs for securing said latch support in rigid relationship to the cabinet body, and an L-shaped latch having one leg of the L horizontally disposed and guided for reciprocatory movement horizontally on the first mentioned horizontal leg of said latch support and the other leg vertically disposed in parallel relationship to the vertical leg of said latch support, said latchs vertical leg having a forward projection terminating in a lateral projection which in one extreme position of the latch overlaps the otherwise free vertical edge portion of the door at the upper end thereof to lock the door in closed position until said latch is slid endwise horizontally far enough for the lateral projection to clear said vertical edge portion.

8. For use in combination with an open front vertical medicine cabinet and a vertical hinged door closing the front thereof for temporarily reventing unauthorized opening of the door, said door extending upwardly above the top portion of said cabinet, a latch structure comprising a support detachably secured to the upper side portion of the cabinet on that side away from the door hinges and concealed by the upwardly extending upper end portion of said door from view from in front of the cabinet when the door is closed, said support including an elongated substantially horizontal guide extending parallel to the open front of the cabinet, and an elongated latch slidable endwise in said guide to and from a door holding position, said latch having a door holding portion on one end thereof engageable with an edge portion of the door on that side away from the door hinges, and having a manually operable handle projection on the other end thereof that is concealed by the upwardly extending upper end portion of said door in closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 508,285 Cole Nov. 7, 1893 1,724,116 Swearngin Aug. 13, 1929 2,168,677 McKeen Aug. 8, 1939 2,564,600 Hummer Aug. 14, 1951 2,770,515 LaEarre Nov. 13, 1956 2,879,123 Newcomer Mar. 24, 1959 2,924,476 Deane Feb. 9, 1960 

